Case Studies

For years, Community Access was a leading advocate for improving NYPD officers’ interactions with people experiencing emotional distress.
Building Thought Leadership

Community Access needed to raise awareness for its crisis intervention efforts to advance change. An intense press effort secured policy results and led to increased donations.

CHALLENGE

For years, Community Access was a leading advocate for improving NYPD officers’ interactions with people experiencing emotional distress. While its work was well known in industry circles, Community Access had not garnered broader public recognition, which stymied the organization’s efforts to push for change and led to a missed opportunity to engage with donors to support the work.

GOAL

Position Community Access as a thought leader and advocate for improving NYPD interactions with people experiencing emotional distress; and leverage the work to raise additional funds.

STRATEGY

Leverage every police emotionally distressed person (EDP) report to raise awareness for Community Access’ position and call for reforms.

Tactics

  • Press Plan Development: Capitalized on every external media opportunity by securing stories and interviews in local and national print and broadcast outlets.
  • Timely Responses: Disseminated regular statements related to breaking news on the topic.
  • Opinion Pieces and Editorials: Placed opinion pieces and organized editorial board meetings to advance the organization’s narrative.
  • Press conferences and desk-side chats: Organized press conferences; and arranged desk-side chats and editorial board meetings.
  • Donor Engagement: Subsequent coverage was regularly shared with donors and potential donors.

ResultS

  • Reporters from across the city and country now regularly call Community Access to interview them about this topic.
  • The City agreed to take up the broader issue of response to people experiencing a crisis.
  • Community Access was able to leverage the press coverage of their leadership in the field into an additional $500,000 in donations.

“Having reporters in the mainstream press regularly cover our work has significantly elevated how our board, individual donors, foundations, companies, and the wider community perceive us. The anat team is a true partner in all we do.”

—JOHN WILLIAMS, Chief Development and Communications Officer

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